AFL says 'banking' finals worth risk

By Emma Quayle, Melissa RyanAugust 02 2003

The AFL said last night that its decision to create a possible football-free weekend in Melbourne during this year's finals was a risk it was willing to take.

The league's announcement that it was prepared to "bank" finals during the second week of this year's series met universal support from the non-Victorian clubs, which occupy six of the top seven spots on the ladder.

Clubs that earn the right to host a final in the second week will play in their home state.

AFL chief executive Wayne Jackson said its "banking" decision had been reversed partly because the league was hopeful it could still convince the Melbourne Cricket Club in the future to relinquish its right to host one of the two preliminary finals.

Six weeks ago, Jackson said it was too great a risk to owe the MCG any finals next year. Any finals moved from the MCG this year to interstate venues must be credited to the ground under the agreement between the AFL and the MCC.");document.write("

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"It's a risk that we're prepared to take and I know the non-Victorian clubs, and any football fan, would say it's a fair deal," Jackson said.

"Imagine what would happen if a Victorian team earned the right to play at home and we sent them off interstate. It's exactly the same scenario as a non-Victorian team having to come over here, so I think footy fans understand that the teams in the finals should get as even a run at it as they possibly can."

Jackson said the concept of rewarding high-finishing teams with home finals was one supported by Telstra Dome, which has the right to host a first-week final if more than one match is scheduled in Melbourne.

Telstra Dome chief executive Ian Collins said the stadium would be willing to talk to the AFL about relinquishing its right if it was adequately compensated. "We're quite happy to talk to them . . . if it's beneficial for both parties. There are ways to make up for not having finals, and one of them might be having more games during the season," Collins said.

The AFL's reversal was met by support from MCC secretary Stephen Gough, who described it as "eminently reasonable", while the six interstate clubs also voiced their approval.

Brisbane Lions chairman Graeme Downie was "thrilled that fairness and equity had won through", Fremantle chief executive Cameron Schwab said it was "a sensible approach", and Sydney chairman Richard Colless described it as "a victory for common sense".

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett concurred with Jackson that the risk of banking finals was reasonable even though, should this year's ladder be replicated next season, interstate clubs would again face the prospect of playing home finals in Melbourne.

"Our preferred outcome is to get the system changed but they can't do that with the MCC at the moment, so the next best alternative is to bank finals," Nisbett said.

"You've got all six non-Victorian clubs in the top half of the ladder, which is quite unusual, so I guess the AFL is prepared to take that risk and I think it's a risk worth taking."

Port Adelaide president Greg Boulton hoped the move would pave the way for "sanity to prevail" and for the MCC to reconsider its stance on hosting a preliminary final if two non-Victorian clubs had won the right.

"It's certainly a move in the right direction. We strongly believe that clubs that earn the right to have a home final should have that right."